Selective Voltage Regulation for Power Supply Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic circuits, such as voltage mode drivers in Serializer and Deserializer (SerDes) systems, face inefficiencies in power consumption due to high power usage for voltage regulation, especially when lower output voltages are required, leading to unnecessary power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A power supply with selective source and voltage regulation that can draw power from multiple input voltage sources, enabling or disabling voltage regulation based on the selected source, allowing for reduced power consumption by switching between higher and lower voltage inputs depending on output voltage needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If voltage regulation is always enabled to ensure stable output voltage, then voltage stability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between regulated and unregulated power supply modes based on real-time operational requirements. The system transitions from a static always-regulated approach to a dynamic approach where regulation is applied only when necessary, reducing unnecessary power consumption while maintaining voltage stability during critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the regulation state parameter based on operational mode. When high voltage stability is required, the regulator is enabled; when lower stability is acceptable or input voltage is already stable, the regulator is disabled. This parameter switching resolves the contradiction by adapting regulation intensity to actual needs.
2Power
If a single high voltage source is used to ensure sufficient power for all operating conditions, then power sufficiency is improved, but power consumption increases for low amplitude modes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal power supply system that can operate with multiple voltage sources (VDDH and VDDA) depending on requirements. The system is designed to accept either high voltage for full-power operation or low voltage for reduced-power operation, making the power supply multi-functional and adaptable to different operational demands without always consuming high power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the input voltage parameter between VDDH (high voltage) and VDDA (low voltage) based on the required output amplitude. For normal amplitude mode, VDDH is selected to ensure sufficient power; for reduced amplitude mode, VDDA is selected to minimize power consumption. This parameter switching resolves the contradiction between power sufficiency and power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for powering an electrical circuit includes a first voltage input configured to receive power from a first voltage source, a second voltage input configured to receive power from a second voltage source, wherein the second voltage source has a lower voltage than the first voltage source, a voltage regulator connected to the first voltage input, and a voltage output configured to switchably receive power from the first voltage input through the voltage regulator or from the second voltage input.